The Sexes: The Name Game

One of the early American suffragettes, Lucy Stone, refused to adopt her
husband's name when she got married to Henry Blackwell in 1855, arguing
that "my name is the symbol of my identity." Her name also became a
rallying cry for other women who chose to keep their maiden names,
though relatively few have done so until the past few years.
Today growing numbers of married women are following in Lucy Stone's
footsteps. Explains Pat Montandon, a San Francisco writer and former
television moderator: "What is important about your own name is
the...